US sanctions 5 South Sudan officials over killings of government critics

The US has imposed sanctions on five South Sudanese officials over their alleged links in the murders of two human rights activists in 2017.

The financial restrictions come just two weeks after Washington withdrew its ambassador to Juba, Thomas Hushek, over uncertainties surrounding the lack of clarity on the transitional government.

In a statement, the US Treasury said South Sudan’s government's denial in the case has to be questioned after "multiple sources" stated the human rights activists "were extraterritorially kidnapped in Kenya by members of the South Sudanese security services". 

Human rights lawyer Dong Samuel Luak and opposition politician Aggrey Idri were in exile in Kenya when they were allegedly kidnapped, flown back to Juba, and executed on a farm owned by President Salva Kiir.